The making of Felicia
by madargentinian
Summary: I wanted to give Felicia - the bartender at Fangtasia - a backstory. This is how I envisioned the day she was made vampire. First shot at Fanfiction. Please provide feedback.


***Disclaimer: I am in no way associated to Charlaine Harris, HBO or the publishers of the Southern Vampire Mysteries series. Charlaine Harris owns the characters and the stories. I'm simply playing in her backyard ***

I remember that night as if it were today.

It was May 2, 1769. I was in my mid twenties.

It was a strange summer night. The wind was blowing outside and it was raining heavily. It was one of those summer storms that come out of nowhere and drawn the fields with mud and flood.

Maria, my five year old, had been having nightmares lately. She kept dreaming about some stories she had heard in Sunday school. Stories about the devil roaming the streets of our little town of Torreon at night. I had heard the stories, too. I had even seen what had happened to Jose, the gardener. He had been found half unclothed in a ditch. His body had been drained dry and his skin looked like it had been torn inside out. Maria and Ana had not seen any of these but some of the older kids that attended Sunday school had heard their parents talking and couldn't keep their mouths shut. They thought it was funny to scare the little ones with these horror tales.

I had read my daughters a bedtime story and Ana had fallen fast asleep. Maria, on the other hand, was holding on to my hand and wanted me to stay with her until she was asleep. I sat there by her side of the bed caressing her hair in a very soothing way. I sang her my favorite lullaby until she finally closed her eyes and fell asleep with her sister on one side and her doll on the other.

I went downstairs to set up the table for my husband, who should soon be coming back from his late shift. I had soup keeping warm by the fire,

We didn't have much, James and I. We lived in a simple cottage that we rented from the town's major, but we owned a horse and a few chickens. I made due selling eggs in the town square and James worked as a dishwasher at the local pub. It didn't pay much but it was a decent job and we didn't have much schooling to do better than that. However, we had a beautiful family. Maria, five, was bright and sweet. Ana, three, was funny and loving.

I loved my family.

I was happy.

I arranged the plates on the table and as I was placing another log in the fire, I heard a knock at the door.

It couldn't possibly be James as he would have walked right in.

"Who is there?" I asked as I walked closer to the door.

Nobody answered.

I felt a chilling wave of fear in my heart and I froze just as I was about to open the door. My hand was shaking over the doorknob.

I took a step back.

I waited in silent for another knock, a voice, something. Nothing.

All I could hear were the raindrops against the roof of my little house.

I thought it might have been the wind that had probably knocked something against the door.

I picked up the lantern and looked out the window. I couldn't see a thing. It was pitch black and rain was pouring down.

I tried to stop the thoughts that were now racing in my mind. Who would be walking outside in that dreadful weather. Then it hit me. The images of the dead bodies that were found around town popped in my head. The gruesome bite marks, the cuts, the bloodless human remains.

I panicked.

I run up the stairs to check on my daughters. They were both fine and sound asleep.

I secured the window's lock and tucked Maria and Ana back in. I gave both my girls a kiss in the forehead and sighed at the sight of those two peaceful faces.

I went back down the stairs to finish my chores.

A few moments passed before I heard a knock again. This time I could hear it in the distance. Then, three more little knocks.

It wasn't at the front door. It was upstairs.

"NOOOOOO!" I screamed.

I heard someone talking to Maria.

Time stopped. The world stopped moving. Silence reigned all around me, I could only hear the giggles of my sweet angel and a female voice.

Everything started spinning around me. I closed my eyes and held a hand to my chest. The stories that I had heard around town, talked about the devil in the flesh visiting people at night and taking them out of their homes. None of the victims had returned alive. Some had been found dead, some had never been found.

I gasped for air and realized I wasn't breathing.

I slowly went to the upstairs room and froze when I saw the scene that was awaiting me.

The window was open and Maria was sitting on the floor talking to a woman.

The woman was wet but she looked clean and neatly dressed. She had the whitest skin I had ever seen and dark wavy hair cascading over her shoulders. She was beautiful but there was a glow of danger around her. Her lips, her lips were … were red like blood.

She stared at me with piercing black eyes.

She smiled and I saw two long teeth coming down the sides of her bloody red lips.

That is when I knew that we were in real danger.

My innocent child, my five-year old daughter, who was always so trusting and loving, had invited a vampire into my house!

Maria raised her face in my direction and said "Mommy, Miss Harris wanted to meet Dolly and being so cold and rainy outside I thought it would be a nice thing to invited her in". Maria smiled at me. She noticed the horror in my face but she couldn't comprehend what was wrong. I motioned her to come to my side but the vampire was holding her hand. The damned creature was touching my daughter's hand! I felt sick to my stomach but I wanted to reassure Maria, to make her feel that everything was going to be fine. But would it be fine? I knew in my heart that it wouldn't.

The vampire licked her top lip and smiled at me again without saying a word.

She didn't need to. I knew we were just food to her. I had heard the stories all too well. I knew I was no match for her speed and strength.

I looked at Maria still sitting so close to this predator. I glanced at Ana peacefully sleeping in her bed. I had to take my chances. May be this woman, vampire, devil, whatever she was, would spare the lives of my innocent children. Slowly and with a pleading voice, I said "Hello Miss Harris, is there anything I can do for you tonight?"

She replied with her eyes piercing me like if they were about to drill a hole on my face "Dear one, I mean your children no harm. You have two beautiful daughters. All I want is one of my own".

I was puzzled by her answer. She wanted a daughter but didn't mean my children any harm? I had never heard of vampires having children but I went along with her show. I wasn't a very educated woman but I was polite. Politeness had always worked wonders for me and I hoped it worked this time around.

"Please, lets go downstairs and let the children go back to sleep." I said in my sweetest tone, "it is late and they should get some rest".

I waved my hand in the direction of the stairs trying to get the vampire to go down with me.

She could have me but what would she do to my children? I couldn't bare the thought of loosing them. They were my life, my light, my love.

The vampire stood up and lifted Maria in her arms. My heart stopped again. Maria wasn't afraid. The vampire didn't scare her.

Miss Harris placed my baby in the bed and said "now Maria, I'm going downstairs with your mother. You go back to sleep and make sure to take good care of your doll". She smiled at Maria in a very non-threatening way and looked at me. I noticed that she didn't intend to have my children for dinner. I was her main course.

I waited for her to go past me down the stairs and I approached Maria and hugged her. I tucked her back in her bed and kissed her goodnight. I told her that everything would be fine even though I knew it wouldn't.

This was my farewell and I wanted Maria to remember me being strong, I smiled and kissed her one more time. I whispered in her ear "Be good to your father and always watch over your little sister. I love you my dear angel".

She closed her eyes and simply said "I love you, too, momma".

With tears in my eyes, I walked to Ana's side of the bed. I kissed and hugged my sleeping baby and told her how much I loved her. Still asleep, she extended her little hand and caressed my face. She wouldn't remember this moment but I would take it in my heart to my grave.

I closed the window and went downstairs.

Miss Harris was waiting for me.

She had been truthful. She wanted a daughter.

I became her daughter that night and she became my maker.


End file.
